Brassieres



April 28, 1959 H. LEE

BRASSIERES Filed July 26, 1957 INVENTOR. BY Helen Lee United StatesPatent BRASSIERES Helen Lee, Atwood, -Calif., assignor to S.D.S. Inc.,Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application July 26,1957, Serial No. 674,444

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-470) This invention relates to brassieres and has forone of its objects the provision of a garment of this character and ofsuch construction that comfort in wear is assured, and with maximumsupport for the breasts attained without constriction; withoutencirclement of the breasts with rigid stiffening elements and with aminimum of materials, fastening elements or the other parts oftenincorporated in brassiere construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in a brassiere of thisnature, a simplified breast-supporting means in the form of reinforcedsegments forming parts of the breast cups and which segments engage thebreasts gently but effectively along the outer sides and below thebreasts and support the same without encompassing or encircling thebreasts or placing undesirable constriction upon them.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a brassiere whichshall have all of the required elements necessary for completelysatisfactory supporting function, yet can be made dainty in appearance,lightweight and attractive without sacrifice of any features required ofa well-fitting, comfortable brassiere.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a frontopening brassiere, closeable at the front by means of a single fastener;of breast cups characterized by the fact that each cup incorporates alower breastsupporting segment reinforced by a flexible stiffenerextending centrally of the segment for the length of the same andtending to maintain the segment directed out wardly and inbreast-supporting position, and of an arcuate reinforcement extendingaround a portion only of the breast cups and co-operating with thesegment in maintaining a support for the breast at its outer side and inits lower area.

With these, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, Ihave devised the arrangement of parts to be described and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is shown,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a brassiere constructed accordingto the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the brassiere showingone of the breast cups;

Fig. 4 is a view of the inside of one of the breast cups with partsbroken away to disclose construction, and

Fig. 5 shows the fastening elements for coupling together the ends ofthe brassiere at the front of the garment.

The body of the garment is generally indicated at 1 and the sameconsists primarily of a longitudinally-extensible band having atransverse, central rear seam 3 and reinforced at the sides by pockets 2and 4 each containing a stiffening strip. The material of the band orbody 1 may be the elastic material that is stretchable longitudinally ofthe band but has little if any transverse elasticity. The breast cupsare indicated respectively at 5 "ice and 6, and since both of the sameare similar in shape and construction, a description of one will sufficefor both.

The major portion of the edge of each cup is defined by an elongatedcurved pocket 7, containing an arcuatelyshaped stiffening wire 8 andpadded at the rear or inside of the garment as indicated at 9. Thelocation of the pocket and the stiffener 8 therein is such as to shapeand support the cup along the outer side and below the same. The pocket7 has one end located at the upper edge of the band or body 1 asindicated at 10 and its other end terminates at the end 11 or 11a of theband. Each of the breast cups 5 and 6 includes a segment 12 which is sopositioned with relation to the cup as a whole as to form a substantialportion of it, particularly along the outer side and lower portion ofthe cup. The segment 12 is composed of an outer ply of a closely wovenbut flexible yet inelastic fabric 13, and a lining 14 of a relativelylighter and considerably thinner fabric. Each of the segments 12 is sopositioned in relation to its cup that the segment has its central ormedian line, defined by the line of stitching 18, extending angularlyand inwardly toward the center of the garment, said median line startingat the base of the cup and at a point located outwardly of the verticalcenter line of the cup. The angularity of the median line of the segment12 is such that the apex of the segment is located near the center ofthe cup but slightly inside of the vertical center line of the same.This arrangement of the segments is such that the segments lend supportto the breasts to an increased extent at the lower and outer sides ofthe same.

The lining 14 is of greater area than the fabric 13 and extends for thecomplete area of the cup and thus the lining projects above and beyondthe material 13 of the body of the segment. A relatively lightweighttrimming material 15, which can be of lacy nature is secured to theouter edge of the segment 12 and projects from said edge in a manner tocover and conceal the projecting part of the lining 14. The body of thecup is thus actually composed of the segment 12 and light fabric 15extending radially therefrom, the cup so formed being lined by thematerial 14.

The segment 12 has its base end secured under the stitching 16 and thesegment has its apex 17 located adjacent to the center point of the cupbut slightly to the inner side of the vertical center line of the cup.Located centrally of the segment 12 and facially secured thereto by themedian line of stitching 18, is a strip 19 of plastic material or someother substance which is relatively stiff yet possesses sufficientflexibility to enable it to adapt itself to bust curvature. Thisreinforcing strip 19 extends from the base of the segment 12 at thepocket 7 to the apex 17 following the angular median line of the segmentand tends to project the segment forwardly and slightly upwardly whileallowing the segment to adapt itself to the curvature of the breast. Thereinforcing strip thus lends firmness and support to the segment andenables it to support the breast along the outer side and below thesame.

The shoulder straps indicated at 20, have one end engaged with hookfasteners 21 that are in turn engaged with the loops 22 secured to theupper edge of the linings 14. At their opposite ends the shoulder strapsare attached to the loops 23 secured to the upper edge of the body orband 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the brassiere is of thefront-opening type and the two forward or front ends 11 and 11a of thebody or band 1 are adapted to be detachably joined or united by means ofdetachable fastening elements shown respectively at 25 and 26. Thefastener member shown at 25 is attached by loop member 27 to the end 11of the body. The complementary fastening member shown at 26 is attachedby loop member 28 to the end 11a of the body. Provided in the fastenermember 25 is an oval opening through which a stud 30 formed on fastenermember 26 passes when the two fastener members are disposed with theiraxes at right angles. After the stud 30 is passed through the opening 29and the two fastener members are moved to make their axes co-axial theywill be locked together. The shank 31 of the stud 30 is cylindrical,permitting its rotative movement within the opening 29. The head of stud30 is oval and thus it prevents removal of the stud out of the opening29 unless the two fastener elements are in axial mis-alignment.

From the foregoing, the structure and advantages of the improvedbrassiere will be apparent. The single coupling or fastening together ofthe ends of the brassiere at the front of the garment providesexceptional ease in donning or removing the garment. The support of thebreasts along the outer sides and from below by the curved segments, andthe reinforcing thereof by the central strips 19 is such that while thegarment can be worn with exceptional comfort, a firm support of thebreasts is assured in a manner to prevent lateral spread and undesiredexpansion. These and other advantages are attained by the describedstructure as will be apparent to those skilled in this art.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obviousthat the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough tocover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a brassiere, a breast cup having a portion of its edge defined byan arcuate pocket containing a stiffening element, said pocket beginningat the top edge of the cup and terminating at the center line of thebrassiere, the body of the brassiere having meeting ends at said centerline, which ends are provided with coupling members for detachablyuniting said ends at the front of the garment, the coupling membershaving their lower ends located below the lower limits of the cups thebreast cup having a lower and outer side portion composed of a segmentof relatively firm material, said segment starting at the edge of thecup and extending toward and terminating at a point slightly inwardly ofthe center point of the cup, said segment being provided with a centralstiffening strip extending from its point of outer termination at theapex of the segment and at the inner side of a center line of the cup tothe edge of the cup, the

4 outer termination of the stiffening strip being located at a pointsituated outwardly of the center line of the cup.

2. In a brassiere, a body having breast cups, a stiffener extendingarcuately around the edge of each cup, the body having a pair of endswith means for coupling the ends together at the front of the brassierebetween the cups, the lower ends of the coupling means being located ata position below the lower limits of the cups, each cup including asegment starting at the lower end of the cup and having its greater arealocated to the outer side of a vertical center line through the cup, thesegments each having an apex located nearer to the center point of thecup but to the inner side of the vertical center line thereof, eachsegment being reinforced by a stiffening strip positioned along themedian line of the segment and having its lower end located at the edgeof the cup and to the outer side of the vertical center line of the cup,said stiffening strip having its upper end terminating at the apex ofthe segment and located to the inner side of said vertical center line.

3. In a brassiere, a garment body in the form of a band which isuninterrupted at the rear of the garment body and has its ends meetingat the front and at substantially the center line thereof, said endsbeing provided with interengaging fastener members to unite said ends atthe front and center of the garment, the garment being provided withbreast cups, each of said cups being composed in part only of a lowersegment portion of relatively firm material, each segment beingreinforced by a single central stiffening strip only, said stripextending inwardly and upwardly along a median line of the segment froma point located outwardly of the vertical center line of the cup to apoint located inwardly of said center line, each cup including an upperportion of substantial width and composed of relatively thin,non-supporting fabric extending outwardly from the edge of the segmentand cooperating with the segment to form the breast cup, the centralstiffening strip terminating at the upper end of the segment and beingomitted from the upper non-supporting portion of the breast cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS856,914 Runyon June 11, 1907 2,485,570 Cousins Oct. 25, 1949' 2,719,301Witkower Oct. 4, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 985,525 France Mar. 14, 1951

